November 10, 2025 - Zhejiang Timing Technology released the latest research results on glycerol esterification technology. By optimizing new solid acid catalysts and reaction parameters, the company has broken through the bottlenecks of traditional processes, promoting the conversion of glycerol, a by-product of biodiesel, into high-value ester products and providing a new path for green chemical production. As a core by-product of the biodiesel industry, glycerol reacts with oleic acid to produce glycerol monooleate (GMO), glycerol trioleate (GTO) and other products, which are in strong demand in the food, cosmetics and industrial lubrication fields. Traditional homogeneous acid catalysis processes suffer from equipment corrosion, numerous by-products and product discoloration, while organic titanate catalysts face high temperature dependence and high costs. The R&D team of Timing Technology found that the hydrophobicity of solid acid catalysts is the key to improving reaction efficiency. Three types of catalysts selected by the team have shown excellent performance: gel-type acidic resin achieves a GMO synthesis conversion rate of 68% at a low temperature of 90℃; zirconium oxide sulfate (SO₄/ZrO₂) becomes the preferred choice for GTO synthesis due to its high-temperature stability, with no sulfur leaching after 5 repeated reactions; zinc oxide (ZnO) stands out for its cost-effectiveness, achieving a conversion rate of 83.8% at 170℃. The research also clarified that the product type can be precisely controlled by adjusting three key parameters: reactant molar ratio, reaction temperature and time. Excess glycerol, low temperature (below 180℃) and short reaction time (3-6 hours) are conducive to GMO production; excess oleic acid, high temperature (above 180℃) and long reaction time (over 10 hours) can increase the proportion of GTO. Compared with traditional homogeneous catalysts, solid acid catalysts are more suitable for continuous production in fixed-bed reactors, with longer catalytic life and reduced waste emissions. Timing Technology stated that this technological breakthrough practices the concept of green, efficient and economical development. In the future, the company will continue to optimize catalyst performance through AI-assisted porous material functionalization, helping enterprises achieve sustainable production.

For more information, you can click: https://www.tiktok.com/@mia_iota